Super Chevy Show Joliet Sneak Peek (WEB EXCLUSIVE)

As a teaser for the upcoming coverage of the Joliet Super Chevy Show, I thought I'd share some pics and words about some of the cool stuff I saw over my weekend at the show. Aside from a little rain on Saturday, the weather was beautiful for the show, with the locals surprised at the sudden relief from the sweltering August heat.

There were some cool and unusual cars in the show which you'll see in the pics below, and stay tuned to a future issue of Super Chevy where you'll see a full breakdown of the event including car show and drag race winners, plus much more!

3/21

Publisher Ed Zinke got a good laugh when I told him about this car "the best '57 in the whole car show field" as I put it! Jokes aside, this car caught my attention instantly because it was chock full of more character than an Elmore Leonard novel. As you can see in the pic of the driver's side quarter window, this old '57 150 2-door post was an aged dragstrip veteran. The current owner pulled the car out of the weeds in pieces, and after welding in new floor and trunk sheetmetal, pretty much left the car as is except for a few other improvements, including a big block for power. Note the '57 "driver" correct mismatched decklid that shows at least three different paint colors over its life! I love cars like this! Looking at them is like reading a good book.

7/21

20 years ago, I'll bet the need for this pair of tools was still pretty good, but today I can't imagine there's much demand for them, hence the $2 price tag. Even the most nostalgic of car guys has to admit, the relegation of points to the obsolete shelf except for fully restored cars isn't a bad thing!

8/21

Another Tri-5 that caught my attention at the show was this original paint '56 BelAir 2-door sedan. A rare color combo to see around today, the Nassau Blue/Harbor Blue pairing was a very 50s style combo, and looked as good then as it does today. Chevy built 104,849 BelAir 2-door post cars in the '56 production run, making it the third most produced model in the BelAir line behind the 4-door sedan and Sport Coupe or "Hardtop" models.

9/21

This black beauty was definitely an eye catcher at the show. Owned by the nephew of famous AHRA/IHRA drag racer Bill Hielscher, aka "Mr. Bardhal". This black SS/RS 350 car was built in the first fourth months of '69 production, and featured some early production unique items. Mated behind the L-48 300 HP 350 was an M-21 with optional console, and a 12-bolt rear handling duty out back. With too many options to list in this brief paragraph, suffice to say this '69 was definitely a unique Camaro.

10/21

Now here's a rare bowtie indeed! This '58 Impala convertible looked to sport every option available in the sales brochure for the '58 model year! Aside from the rare 348 tri-power engine, this car came with a turboglide auto trans, A/C, power brakes, stoplight viewer, and a litany of other goodies. It seems like more and more '58 model Bowties are showing up at events in recent months, so it's nice to see the "odd" year cars seeing the light of day again. What most people don't realize, Chevrolet actually produced and sold more '58 models than the iconic '57 models.

11/21

While not a Z-16 or high horse 327 car, this 283 2-bbl equipped Malibu SS is still just as nice. Chevrolet's popular A-body was in its second year of production, and a moderate facelift over '64 gave the front end a more crisp, sporty look. The '64-'67 A-bodies were built on the same 115-inch wheelbase as the 55-56-57 model cars.

Check out Todd Nelson's 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS! This car has a clean and sleek personality, from the beautiful black-as-night exterior paint to the flawless high quality leather interior. » Read More

Most people look past the small 4.8L engine and go straight for the bigger ones. In this Little LS Slugfest, we compare both stock and modified versions of the 4.8L and 5.3L engines, now you be the judge! » Read More